British flight forced to turn back
1/12/2005, 2:16 p.m. ET
The Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — A British Airways flight from London to New York was forced to turn back Wednesday after U.S. authorities refused to allow one of the passengers to land, the airline said.
Flight BA175 was three hours into its journey to John F. Kennedy International Airport when it was forced to turn back to London's Heathrow Airport, where the male passenger was met by police.
"The flight returned to Heathrow after we received a request from the U.S. authorities saying that a passenger aboard the aircraft was not to be allowed to land in New York," an airline spokesman said. "We stress that there was no threat to the safety of the aircraft."
The passenger's nationality was not immediately available.
Airline officials said the rest of the passengers on the flight would leave later Wednesday evening.
Is there any reason that these "no-fly" lists are not checked PRIOR to the flight leaving?!?!? This has happened more than a few times...which makes me wonder "who" has slipped through the cracks!